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avec fa Majefté Imperiale et Royale, auffitot que l'intention du gouvernement Français d'entrer en négociation avec sa Majesté Britannique lui fera connue.

Le fouligné faifit avec empreffement cette occafion de renouveller à fon Excellence fes affurances de fa confideration la plus diftinguée.

Vienne, ce 9 d'Août 1800.

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THE underfigned, his Britannic Majefty's envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary, did not fail to tranfmit to his court all the communications which have been made to him by the Emperor's direction, by his Excellency Baron Thugut, relative to the correfpondence which has taken place between his Majesty the Emperor and the French government refpecting overtures for peace. The underfigned has in confequence been directed to intimate the fatisfaction which his Majefty has received from this mark of confidence on the part of his Imperial and Royal Majefty. The underfigned does not delay, after the authority which he has juft received, to declare that his Britannic Majefty, defirous at all times of giving to the Emperor and to all Europe the clearest proofs of his perfect and cordial union with his Imperial and Royal Majesty, and of the value which he attaches to the conftant prefervation of the intimate concert and friendship which are fo happily established between their crowns and their fubjects, is difpofed to concur with Auftria in the negotiations which may take place for a general pacification, and to fend his plenipotentiaries to treat for peace in concert with his Imperial and Royal Majefty, as foon as the intention of the French governinent to enter into a negotiation with his Britannic Majesty shall be known to him.

The undersigned eagerly feizes this occafion of renewing to his Excellency the affurance of his most distinguished confideration. Vienna, Aug. 9, 1809.

(Signed)

C.

MINTO.

Kleber Général en Chef, commandant l'Armée Française en Egypte, à fon Excellence le Camaikam de la Sublime Porte, illuftre parmi les grands, eclairés et fages; que Dieu lui donne une longue Vie pleine de Gloire et de Bonheur.

Salut et Amitié,

VOTRE Excellence a fans doute été informée de la marche et du réfultat des négociations que j'avais conclues avec fon Alteffe

le

le Suprême Vizir Youffef Pacha; et d'après les affurances qui m'en ont été données par des perfonnes de marque de votre nation, je dois penfer que le traité d'El-Arith a obtenu l'approbation de fa Majefté l'Empereur Selim II. Plufieurs articles de ce traité avaient déjà reçu leur execution, et l'armée Française particulièrement rempliffoit avec fidélité fes engagemens.

J'étais fur le point d'évacuer le Caire, lorfque je reçus de Lord Keith, commandant en chef la flotte Anglaife dans la Mediterranée, une lettre, qui excita la furprife et furtout l'indignation de tous les Français. J'en joins ici la copie cet écrit, qui fuppofe l'ignorance abfolue de ma pofition, et l'oubli de ce qu'on doit à fes alliés, rendait illufoires non feulement la convention d'El-Arish, mais encore toute espèce de traité que je pourrais à l'avenir conclure avec la Sublime Porte; à l'égard des conditions injurieufes que cette lettre renferme, votre Excellence comprendra facilement que l'armée Française en Egypte ne peut jamais fe trouver dans le cas d'y fouferire.

J'avais fait part de ces obfervations au Suprême Vizir, et je lui propofais de différer l'evacuation de Caire jufqu'à ce que cette difficulté inattendue fut levée. Je ne pouvais demander une garantie plus modérée de l'execution de nos conventions; fon Alteffe s'y eft refufée, et elle a préféré d'abandoner au hafard d'une bataille la poffeffion d'un pais qui lui étoit toute affurée. Cette bataille a eu lieu 29 Ventofe, et le Ciel protégeant la juftice de ma cause, m'a donné la victoire. Cependant le défir fincère que j'ai toujours eu de rétablir les liens d'amitié et d'intérêt qui ont uni pendant tant de fiècles les deux nations, n'eft point altéré par cet evènement. La Sublime Porte me trouvera encore disposé à la remettre en poffeffion de l'Egypte aux conditions ftipulées à El-Arifh, fauf quelques modifications, que les circonftances actuelles ont rendu neceffaires. Ainfi une nouvelle effufion de fang ferait abfolument fans objet, et une negociation regulière, et dont l'effet ne ferait pas arrêté par des ordres imprévus rendrait à l'empire Ottoman des provinces que l'on s'efforcerait inutilement de nous enlever par le voie des armes. Si votre Excellence partage ces fentimens de paix et de concorde, elle les fera connaître à fa Majefté l'Empereur Selim II. et fans doute elle en obtiendra l'ordre de renouer, fans délai, des conferences qui nous conduiront au but que nous avons un égal défir d'atteindre. Je prie votre Excellence de croire à la haute confideration que j'ai pour elle.

(L. S.)

(Signé)

KLEBER. Du Caire, le (10 Auril) 20 Germinal, an 8 de la république Françaife, repondant au 14 du mois de la lune Zyfkadé l'an de * Egyre 1214.

C. Tranf

C.
Tranflation.

General Kleber, Commander in Chief of the French Army in Egypt, to his Excellency the Caimakam of the Sublime Porte, illuftrious among the great, the enlightened, and the wife; may God grant to him a long Life full of Glory and of Happiness.

Health and Friendship.

YOUR Excellency has, without doubt, been informed of the progrefs and refult of the negotiations, which I had concluded with his Highness the Supreme Vizir Youffef Pacha; and according to the affurances to that effect which I have received from perfons of diftinétion of your nation, I have reafon to think, that the treaty of El-Arifh has obtained the approbation of his Majesty the Emperor Selim the Second.

Several articles of this treaty had already been executed, and the French army in particular was faithfully fulfilling its engagements. I was upon the point of evacuating Cairo, when I received from Lord Keith, commander in chief of the English fleet in the Mediterranean, a letter, which excited the furprise, and above all, the indignation of all the French. I herewith annex a copy of it: this paper, which evinces the most perfect ignorance of my fituation, and the neglect of every thing due to allies, rendered illufory not only the convention of El-Arifh, but also of every kind of treaty which I might thenceforward conclude with the Sublime Porte. With regard to the injurious conditions contained in that letter, your Excellency will readily perceive, that the French army in Egypt can never be reduced to fubfcribe to them. I had communicated thefe obfervations to the Grand Vizir, and I propofed to him to poftpone the evacuation of Cairo until this unexpected difficulty fhould be removed. I could not demand a more moderate pledge of the execution of our conventions; his Excellency refufed to confent to this propofal, and chose rather to expofe to the fate of a battle, the poffeffion of a country which was abfolutely affured to him. This battle took place on the 29th of Ventofe; and Heaven, protecting the juftice of my caufe, conferred victory on me. Nevertheless, the fincere defire which I have always had, to re-establish the ties of friendship and of intereft, which, during fo many centuries, have united the two nations, is not altered by that event. The Sublime Porte will ftill find me difpofed to deliver up to him the poffeffion of Egypt upon the conditions ftipulated at El-Arifh, with the exception of fome modifications which the exifting circumftances have rendered neceffary. Thus all motive for a fresh effufion of blood would be obviated, and a regular negotiation (the effect of which would no longer be prevented by unfore feen orders) would reftore to the Ottoman Empire thofe provinces of which it would be in vain to attempt to de

prive us by force of arms. If your Excellency fhares thefe fentiments of peace and concord, you will communicate them to his Majefty the Emperor Selim the Second, and without doubt, you will obtain orders to refume, without delay, thofe conferences which would conduct us to the object which we are equally defirous of attaining. I beg your Excellency to believe in the high confideration I entertain for you.

(Signed)

KLEBER.

(L. S.) Cairo, the 20th Germinal, year 8 of the French republic (16th of April 1800), which answers to the 14th of the month of the moon Zyskade in the year of the Ægira 1214,

D.

Au Camp de Jaffa, 15 Avril 1800.

Baudot, premier Aide-de-camp du General Kleber, Commandant en
Chef de l'Armée Française en Egypte.

A Manfieur le premier Interprète de la Sublime Porte.
Monfieur le Prince,

JE n'ai ceffé dans toutes les converfations que j'ai eues avec vous, de vous répéter que l'intention ferme et bien prononcée du General Kleber, a toujours été d'executer fcrupuleufement le traité d'ElArifh. J'y ajoute avec confiance, connaiffant le caractère loyal et franc de ce général, et le vrai défir qu'il a de donner au Suprême Vizir des preuves pofitives de fa bonne foi, que quelques foient les chances de la guerre, l'armée Française évacuera Egypte, auffitôt que les paffeports néceffaires du gouvernement Anglais feront arrivés, ainfi que le nombre des bâtimens ftipulé pour le tranfport des troupes.

J'ai l'honneur d'être, &c.
(Signé)

D.

Franflation.

BAUDOT,

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Baudot, firft hid-de-camp to General Kleber, Commander in Chief of the French Army in Egypt

Prince,

To the first Interpreter of the Sublime Porte.

IN all my converfations with you, I have continually repeated to you, that the firm and clearly expreffed intention of General Kleber has always been, fcrupulously to execute the treaty of ElArifh. I add, with confidence, from my knowledge of the loyal

and

and open character of that general, and the real wish which he has to give to the Supreme Vizir the moft pofitive proofs of his good faith, that, whatever may be the fortune of war, the French army fhall evacuate Egypt immediately after the arrival of the neceffary paffports from the English government, and of the number of vellels ftipulated for the tranfport of the troops. I have the honour, &c. (Signed)

Right of Neutrals.

BAUDOT!

The Cafe of the Maria, Swedish Merchantman, heard in the Court of Admiralty, before Sir William Scott.

TH

HIS was the leading cafe of a fleet of Swedish merchantmen, carrying pitch, tar, hemp, deals, and iron, to several ports of France, Portugal, and the Mediterranean; taken January 1798, failing under convoy of a fhip of war; and proceeded against for refiftance of vilitation and fearch by British cruifers.

Judgment.

Sir W. Scott.-This fhip was taken in the British Channel, in company with feveral other Swedish veffels failing under convoy of a Swedith frigate, having cargoes of naval ftores and other produce of Sweden on board, by a British fquadron under the command of Commodore Lawford.

The information now before the court confifts of feveral atteftations made on the part of the captors, and of a copy of the inftructions under which the Swedish frigate failed, tranfmitted to the King's Proctor, from the office of the British Secretary of State for the foreign department. On the part of the Swedes, fome atteftations and certificates have been introduced, but all of them applying to collateral matter, none relating immediately to the facts of the capture. On this evidence the court has to determine this most important question; for its importance is very fenfibly felt by the court. I have, therefore, taken fome time to weigh the matter maturely; I fhall regret much if that delay has produced any private inconvenience; but I am not confcious (attending to the numerous other weighty caufes that daily prefs on the attention of the court), that I have interpofed more time in forming my judgment than was fairly due to the importance of the queftion, and to the magnitude of the interefts involved in it.

In forming that judgment, I trust that it has not escaped my anxious recollection for one moment, what it is that the duty of my ftation calls for from me; namely, to confider myself as ftationed here, not to deliver occafional and fhifting opinions to ferve prefent purposes of particular national intereft, but to admiVOL. X.

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